“Don’t eat yellow snow.”
That’s good advice.
“Don’t get old. It’s a [fill in the blank].”
Also good advice, though hard to achieve. That one came from my grandma. She’s a funny old lady.
All kidding aside, it’s amazing how good advice can change people. When someone tells you just the right thing at the right time, however simple it may be, it resonates. It can seep into the way you live your life, do your job and interact with others.
I’ve received three key pieces of advice that have stuck with me throughout the years and I put these to use at work and in my daily life.
- “Don’t worry about the things you cannot control.” - Glenn, a former colleague
I’m sure he just got sick of hearing me complain, but hey, it stuck. And it’s great advice. Don’t sweat the stuff you can’t change. Deal with it and move on. If you keep stewing on things, and letting that negative energy boil up, it can crush your productivity and age you prematurely (something my grandma says you want to avoid).
- “Whatever you do, do your best.” - My dad
Sometimes you’re tasked with things that just…suck. Everyone’s got their little annoyances. But if you’re going to do something, give it your all. Especially at work. And especially in an unsteady job market. Like Oprah says, “Be your BEST self.”
- “Be kind and always do the right thing.” - Paul, my mentor at my first “real” job
Those are some words to live by. And that mentor, through living that advice out in his own life, was able to maintain his job when everyone around him succumbed to layoffs and furloughs. Plain and simple, be a good person.
Now, not all advice is good advice. And unsolicited advice can just be irritating. But when you’re talking with people who you respect and admire, receiving advice can be a great thing. Don’t be afraid to ask for it. Mentors, bosses, industry leaders, grandmothers–chances are they all have a ton of knowledge, words of wisdom and guidance that they’d love to pass along. Take my advice and let them.